Firstly, Happy Easter, I hope you're all enjoying some well-needed rest and time with your families! Who knew we'd get a nice bit of sunshine too!
Let's head into this week's blog though and the fantastic Laura and Lewis whose wedding we captured at Bosworth Hall last weekend.
It's safe to say there was a definite threat of rain last weekend and after the torrential downpour at Vanessa and Simons's wedding the day before, we weren't holding out much hope for a dry day and an opportunity to capture some stunning photos in the grounds of the Bosworth Hall Hotel. There were some rather threatening grey clouds, but we lucked out completely and fortunately, the weather held out for the duration.
As we were booked in for a full day with Laura and Lewis, the day started on what I think is always a crucial part of wedding photography, the bridal prep. My aim with any wedding I capture is to tell the story of your day through the photos I take, so think of bridal prep photography as the opening chapter, and an opportunity to capture the finite details as well as the laughs and smiles that the bridal party inherently share too.
The beauty of Bosworth Hall is that the ceremony room is directly next door to the bridal suite, so I'd made a point of telling Laura she'd got absolutely no excuse for being late! Not that it would have been a problem for Laura and Lewis, as Laura was uber-prepared, with every minute and second planned out in meticulous detail. Theres always bits of information I ask for ahead of the big day, and Laura made it all an absolute breeze by providing detailed timings, lists and examples of shots they wanted to capture.
We were lucky enough to have Rachel with us for their day, so whilst I popped out to get a few photos of Lewis nervously waiting, I left Laura in Rachel's very capable hands whilst I headed into the ceremony room to have a quick chat with the registrars and grab a few photos of the guests filing in.
Ceremonies are always amongst my favourite parts to capture, and there are always so many emotions, smiles and laughs that are a joy to photograph. THe first moment the bride and groom set eyes on each other and those really deep shots of the mums overwhelmed with pride. Laura and Lewis's wedding was no different, there was definitely no shortage of really genuinely happy moments to capture!
Once the ceremony was over and done with, the guests made their exit to collect their reception drinks ready to head outside ready for group shots and confetti shots.
Ahead of every wedding, I always ask the couple to pass on a list of group shots to the best man/maid of honour, so they can collect each group of people for their group shots as we need them. Not only does it get them earning their keep, but when it's a little cold like it was last Saturday, it keeps all the guests in the warm so they're not waiting around. Lewis's brother did a sterling job, and it meant that we shot through them nice and quickly, so Laura and Lewis could concentrate on enjoying their day.
If there's one thing Laura and Lewis managed perfectly, it was their schedule for the day. Nothing was too rushed, and they allowed plenty of time between key parts of their day to make sure they made the most out of their time with their guests, and us plenty of time to catch the little details.
Just like most couples do now, Laura and Lewis elected to ditch tradition and head into speeches before their meal. It's a brilliant idea, and as most people aren't too comfortable with public speaking, it gets all of the nerves out of the way and means when food is served, they can relax without worrying. As always, the speeches were amazing and we got the usual embaressing moments along with a healthy dose of some really heart fealt compliments.
Food was served, and it was time for us to head out totheir guests in peace, and so we could back up our cards, charge up the batteries and get ready to launch back into proceedings once the couple and their guests had finished their food.
We'd already put some time to one side after food to head out with Laura and Lewis to get a few photos of them on their own and to take advantage of the stunning grounds Bosworth Hall is set in. There are some amazing little paths around the hall that snake their way through the grounds, so it was awesome to have a good chat with both Laura and Lewis about their day so far, and their plans for their honeymoon (Which I am incredibly jealous of by the way!!) whilst snapping away with a few partially posed shots which I can be the first to tell you, came out incredibly! We had discussed a few dirty dancing style lifts in one of the ponds, but Lewis wasn't too keen, so we decided to leave that one out this time.
Then it was onto the evening reception, which is when I like to start skirting around the edges once again. Theres always those guests who have just arrived, so getting their reactions, when they see the newlyweds for the first time is always a fantastic shot to get, along with those guests who have been in attendance for the day busting out some dance moves nice and early!
Capturing the special moments of a wedding is a crucial part of any wedding photographer's job, and the cake-cutting and first dance are two of the most important moments of the evening reception. Laura and Lewis's wedding was no exception, and as a photographer, I was determined to capture these moments in all their glory. Positioning myself right in the middle of the action was the key to getting those last few shots that every couple wants from their wedding day.
The cake cutting went just as perfectly as you'd expect before we headed straight into the couple's very first dance together as all their friends and family joined them for what was our final few moments with Laura and Lewis.
We both had a fantastic time with Laura and Lewis. They're such a perfect couple, well suited to each other and a joy to photograph. They're the kind of couple that just go so well together, and for us as photographers, it's a dream when the chemistry really does shine through on photos the same way it does for Laura and Lewis. I really hope we can add them to the long list of couples that started as customers and leave as friends!
Thats us signing off for this week! I'm off to tuck into some easter eggs!
Peace, Love and Photos.
Jono x